Lendog was definitely more skilled, both in open field and in clearance situations. His ability to open play up for his teammates was incredible and better than Steele's. Steele is a better goalkicker than Hayes and more comfortable being a target to receive the ball. But Hayes was in every other as...

Milne was an absolute freak. One of the hardest players to stop one-on-one. No further caveats needed. People playing on him had it as tough as the guy tagging any gun midfielder you want to mention. Possibly the best pack crumbing ability of all time. I've not watched Betts much over his career, so...

It's not a big deal at all. It's just marketing/branding for the club. It helps them to attract a segment of the population without alienating any segment of the population. The club does all kinds of marketing and branding exercises. One could argue that's predominantly what the club is. As our his...

Last year everyone was stoked on Coffield and would have taken him over Naughton.

The problem wasn't the choice of Coffield - iyt's what the footy department is doing that has caused him to stall in his development.

Some silly revisionist history going on in this thread

I also like Long, but I think a valid criticism is that we need to show highlights from 2019 to justify his selection in 2021. Unfortunately, he is not a solid, reliable, improving starting 18 player which is what he should be at this point in his career. He has had plenty of chances. I love how gut...

Milne had as good a crumbing sense as anyone who has ever played the game. His ability to get the ball off hands at pace was freakish and could never be taught to that level. And then his ability to kick goals is as good as we've seen as well. Truly a special player. More perfectly made for his posi...

Good point. It is a problem. He's overpaid. But that's not his fault. Absolutely not his fault. Maybe we try to work in some kind of bonus based on B&F finishes but a lower base salary? His earnings to B&F finish ratio is one of the more incongruent going, surely. As much as he's overpaid, I...

Billings is fine. He's okay. Starting 18 player. This year he has been playing hurt/not training to make matters worse. People who have a problem with Billings just have their expectations too high. He's not a star. But you can't have a team of 22 stars. Get over the fact he was drafted at number 3 ...

I'm starting to doubt that King is a talented footballer. He's an impressive athlete and a big unit. His size and physical gifts will make him a good player. He's good with ground balls like Lance Franklin, though he unfortunately doesn't play anything like Lance who has always put enormous pressure...

Wilson is a bitch, and a known St Kilda basher. Why the f*** would you want to side with her. We might not like some of her views on the Saints, but keep your gutter language off this forum thanks. Saynta, grow up. This is offensive, mate. Pathetic. In regards to the OP, i kind of agree that when p...

Ratten loves the idea that all players need to be able to play in more than one position/role. Hence he has thrown Battle around everywhere. Problem is that he has half learned 3 positions without fully learning any of them. If you went from the accounting to the sales to the marketing department, t...

Fitness and ticker. We badly lack both.

Maybe we'll get another 'keep up the good work fellas' message from the President, the CEO will clap on about some theme round, Roughhead will continue his 'yeh-nahs' and the 'Sounds of the Saints' podcast will spin out more of the same. I don't think the club gets it. We have become a laughing sto...

Byrnes is in his second year? Third? Hardly a sign of good development or a good football program that he has improved. Sinclair is therefore really perhaps the only player who is playing better this year than last...this is what worries me systemically about the club. Not so much the results, the l...

Yet another player who with the natural arc of his career should have improved a lot this year but has actually gotten worse.

Can anyone name a Saints player that has improved this season?

Some pretty awful comments on here. He's a young guy playing a really hard position and his skinny body is getting smashed each week. Some people just expect players to become a superstar in the blink of an eye. His kicking for goal has been woeful, like Billings in his first couple of seasons, but...

The real question is, is it selection or development? Good point. In which capacity has Billings improved in his 7 years or whatever at the club? He's fitter and stronger, but has his game improved at all? Not sure he's anything other than a fitter, stronger version of the guy who came in to the cl...

I think fundamentally we have tried to take a shortcut on something which takes time. Look at Geelong for fifteen years, us 20 years ago, Melbourne and the dogs this year, Richmond since Cotchin and Martin...it takes time. We have tried to build a pretty house focusing on the cladding more than the ...

The problem is the club itself drank its own bathwater and believed the hype. We overrated ourselves...the people who work there are supposed to have more perspective and actually drive high standards, not just pat each other on the back

Oh, i don't think Max is being overpaid as such...he'd probably get that money anywhere but he's not that good yet. You're right that you pretty often pay on potential. Fact is we didn't really need the extension now, could have waited Anyway, let's say Ben stays at GCS...is our priority still a key...

Why is it so important that we get Ben King? Nobody thinks we should trade for another key forward not called King, so is it just because it would be nice to have twins or is it actually what we need? Especially given it would come with a huge opportunity cost I'm sure the club will try at all costs...

Absolutely would not address the problem at all. Problems are not solved by avoiding or ignoring them

You teach it.. A guy like King hasn't ever needed to develop strong fundamentals because his size has always made him a top prospect. Biomechanics of his set shots is horrible, his routine is inconsistent...he looks like he just has a pot shot every attempt rather than an actual technique or process...

Wow we must have upset the footy karma gods in a previous life - cant take a trick. We dont have a long injury list but the players are all best 22 players - Gresham, Paton, Geary, Hannebrey & now Jones. All to cap off starting the season without our two ruckman. It's not luck! This is a non co...

Yeah I just dont care before round 17. And that is only if we are a chance at finishing in the eight. Five plus would be a good start. I agree with this. Bytel and Brynes to stay in now, alongside Ross, Jones and Crouch, with Steele as our premier mid, and then get Hannebery right for the back half...